The West Jefferson Roughriders fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against the Fairbanks Panthers on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 49-48 to the Panthers. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for West Jefferson in their matchups with Fairbanks: they've now lost four in a row.
Fairbanks' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Grace Zahn, who scored eight points along with six rebounds and five assists. Mara Vicari was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
West Jefferson has been struggling recently, as they've lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-9 record this season. As for Fairbanks, their victory bumped their record up to 4-12.
West Jefferson will look to defend their home court on Saturday against West Liberty-Salem at 7:30 p.m. As for Fairbanks, they will head out on the road to challenge Mechanicsburg at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The timing is sure in Mechanicsburg's favor as the team sits on six straight wins at home while Fairbanks has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road.
